Sudan reconnects Port Sudan and Khartoum: first domestic commercial flight after years-long interruption lands in the capital
On Tuesday, 02 February 2026, Sudan recorded an important step in restoring internal transport: the first domestic commercial flight on the Port Sudan–Khartoum route successfully landed at Khartoum Airport. The flight was operated by Sudan Airways, the national carrier, and it was welcomed at the airport by aviation officials and some airport staff, with the message that this is a step that could accelerate the return of basic transport and economic flows in the country.
This event goes beyond the mere air connection between the two cities. After years of war destruction and infrastructure disruption, every return of more regular links has direct consequences for civilian mobility, delivery of humanitarian aid, medical logistics, and the functioning of government services. In the Sudanese context, in which the security situation continues to change from week to week, the restoration of air routes is additionally viewed as a test of the real possibilities for normalization.
Khartoum and Port Sudan are mentioned several times in the text because this route is precisely the key to restoring mobility; for passengers and members of organizations who come to the city, in practice
accommodation in Khartoum is often important as well, especially if the trip involves several days of field work or waiting for onward flights.
Why the Port Sudan–Khartoum route is especially important
During the war, Port Sudan became an administrative and logistical stronghold for parts of state structures, diplomatic activity, and humanitarian operations. According to analytical overviews of the city’s role after the outbreak of the conflict, some government offices and part of international organizations moved to Port Sudan, although a formal declaration of a new capital was not carried out. Because of this, the air link with Khartoum gained additional weight: it is not only a passenger line, but also a potential channel for faster staff rotation, delivery of urgent medical equipment, and connecting institutions that have operated for years under emergency conditions.
In practice, the road journey between Port Sudan and Khartoum is often long, logistically demanding, and burdened with security risks, which is especially important for vulnerable groups, patients, and humanitarian and medical teams. Therefore, Sudanese authorities announced that the return of flights should facilitate civilian movement and reduce dependence on roads that during the war were cut off, damaged, or dangerous.
For those arriving from other parts of the country or from abroad, Port Sudan’s role as a hub often also implies planning a stay before continuing the journey; in that sense, for visitors continuing toward the capital,
accommodation near key locations in Khartoum is also relevant, especially in a period when traffic is only gradually stabilizing.
What is known about the flight and how officials interpret it
According to information published by international media, a Sudan Airways aircraft landed without incident at Khartoum Airport. Some officials stated that the flight carried passengers from Port Sudan and that it is a sign of the gradual return of basic public services and infrastructure to the capital. At the same time, multiple sources warn that this is a step that is symbolically strong, but operationally only the beginning: the number of flights, frequency, and durability of this route will depend on security assessments, the technical readiness of the airport, and the real ability to secure the airspace.
Reports also feature different formulations about the “first” flight. According to some claims, it is the first domestic commercial flight after a long interruption, while others recall that in previous months there were isolated passenger landings in Khartoum. Such differences can arise because statistics sometimes record separately special flights, test operations, humanitarian or limited passenger flights, as well as whether a “commercial” flight is considered a route with regular ticket sales or any passenger flight by the national carrier.
In each of these variants, the authorities’ message remains the same: restoring the route between Port Sudan and Khartoum should accelerate the return of the state to more functional frameworks. For citizens, that means shortening travel, and for the economy, the possibility that at least part of business connections will again take place via the capital.
Sudan Airways at the center of the recovery, but with limited capacities
The national carrier Sudan Airways (in Arabic:
الخطوط الجوية السودانية) played a key role in this event, but its operational strength has been limited for years by war, sanctions, infrastructure losses, and fleet maintenance. Specialized aviation media recently reported that one of the company’s most operationally important aircraft underwent months-long maintenance outside the country and returned to service, which enabled the restoration of part of the flights. In Sudanese conditions, where airports and logistics systems are recovering slowly, the availability and technical airworthiness of a single aircraft can directly determine whether a route will be maintained for weeks or months.
For passengers, the key question is reliability: whether the flight schedule will stabilize, how many seats there will be, and how much flexibility exists in case of new security or technical constraints. Experience from countries undergoing prolonged conflicts shows that air traffic is often restored in “waves” — with periods of increased activity and periods of sudden interruptions. Therefore, gradual expansion is expected in Sudan as well, not an immediate return to the pre-crisis level.
Trip planning in such circumstances usually includes logistical buffers, especially in cities with changing security conditions; in practice, some travelers look for
accommodation for visitors in Khartoum in order to have time to adapt to possible changes in transport or administrative procedures.
Broader context: the war since 2023 and consequences for civilian life
The conflict in Sudan broke out in April 2023 as a result of a power struggle between the Sudanese army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF). The consequences are devastating: civilian infrastructure has suffered major damage, and large parts of the population were forced to flee. United Nations humanitarian agencies have for years warned that this is one of the largest displacement crises in the world, with growing needs for food, health care, and basic services.
Within that framework, the return of a flight to Khartoum has a dual effect. On the one hand, it sends a message about the possible restoration of state functions and economic activities in the capital. On the other hand, it reminds how much normal movement of people has become a luxury: when travel between two major cities is an event described as “historic,” it clearly shows the depth of the disruption caused by the war.
The security picture and the question of sustainability of air traffic
During the war, Khartoum Airport was heavily damaged and in certain periods the subject of fighting, which led to a years-long interruption of regular civilian flights. Several reports from recent months pointed to attempts to gradually reopen domestic routes, but also to persistent risks, including drone attacks and security threats that can disrupt operations.
That is precisely why the restoration of the Port Sudan–Khartoum line is also interpreted as a security test. If flights continue without interruption, it will strengthen arguments that it is possible to restore other internal links as well, which is important for a unified market, supply chains, and labor mobility. If, however, interruptions occur, it will confirm assessments that normalization still cannot rely on a stable security framework.
An additional challenge is the capacity of airports: after a long period of minimal operations, it is necessary to ensure trained staff, control systems, security procedures, and maintenance of the runway and infrastructure. All of this requires money, and the war has simultaneously reduced public revenues and increased the costs of basic state functioning.
The economy and humanitarian logistics: what could change
Sudan is a country in which economic activity traditionally relied heavily on Khartoum as an administrative, financial, and transport center. The interruption of air links also means an interruption of fast exchange of people and goods, and in conditions of insecure roads it further complicates supply. The restoration of a domestic flight does not solve these problems overnight, but it can open space for faster movement of key profiles: doctors, engineers, infrastructure experts, humanitarian coordinators, and business people trying to revive trade and services.
Humanitarian organizations often state that rapid logistics routes are crucial for delivering medical supplies, laboratory equipment, and medicines with a short shelf life. In that sense, a stable air link between Port Sudan as a logistics hub and Khartoum as the largest urban center can have direct consequences for the availability of health services, especially in a situation where hospitals and clinics have operated for years with insufficient capacities.
The same applies to the economy: even a limited number of flights can enable faster establishment of meetings, contracting of work, and movement of experts needed for the reconstruction of telecommunications, energy, and municipal infrastructure. However, all of this depends on whether traffic will develop predictably or remain sporadic, with frequent interruptions.
Reactions and expectations: the symbolism of returning to Khartoum
For part of the population and institutions, the return of flights to Khartoum has strong symbolism: it is a signal that the capital is again being included in national flows. However, media reports simultaneously emphasize that the road to full normalization is long. The war changed the demographic picture of the country, displaced millions, and destroyed parts of urban infrastructure. The return of air traffic does not automatically mean a return of everyday security, but it can ease certain aspects of life and work.
In the coming weeks, attention will be focused on whether Sudan Airways and the competent institutions will succeed in maintaining continuity of the line, and whether other domestic routes will also open. Additionally, it will be monitored whether the number of passengers will increase, including humanitarian staff and medical teams, and whether conditions will be created for Khartoum to become more accessible again for both business and civilian needs. In a country where recovery is measured in small but concrete steps, the landing of a domestic commercial flight from Port Sudan to Khartoum enters the series of events observed as the beginning of a slow but necessary recovery.
Sources:- - Associated Press (AP) – report on the commercial flight Port Sudan–Khartoum and the broader context of the war (link)
- - Xinhua / The Peninsula Qatar – statements by Sudanese officials about the first commercial passenger flight in nearly three years (link)
- - OCHA (UN) – overview of the humanitarian situation in Sudan, needs, and displacement after 2023 (link)
- - Small Arms Survey (HSBA) – analysis of the political-economic significance of Port Sudan as an administrative and logistics hub (link)
- - Travel Radar – information about the maintenance and return of a Sudan Airways operational aircraft as a prerequisite for the restoration of flights (link)
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